Fire-extinguishing system for motion-picture booths



Feb. 21, 1928. 1,660,081

G. A. MEARS FIRE EXTINGUISHING SYSTEM FOR MOTION PICTURE BOQTHS FiledJuly 20. 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 as d I throw Patented Feb. 21, 1928.

UNITED STATES I 1,660,081 PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGEJA. MEARS, 0F NEWBERRY, PENNSYLVANIA.

FIRE-EXTINGUISHING- SYSTEM FOR MOTION-PICTURE BQQTHS.

Application filed Jul-y 20,

This invention relates to a fire extinguishing system for motion picturebooths and is designed primarily for use in connection with apparatussuch as disclosed, for example, in my co-pen-ding application filed June11, 1926, Serial No.- 115,309. 7

It is an object of the present invention to provide an arrangement ofnozzles for de livering fire extinguishing fluid at the point or pointswhere ignition occurs, the operation of the apparatusbeing automatic.

'Another object is to provide a fire extinguishing system utilizing aninvertible chemical tank having means whereby it will be automaticallyinverted when a fire occurs so that the apparatus will be renderedoperative. V

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as'the'description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within thescope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

In the accompanying drawings the pre ferred form of the invention hasbeen shown.

In said drawings,

Figure 1 is a plan view of the complete apparatus, the booth in which itis located being shown in section.

-Figure 2 isa section through the booth showing the apparatus inelevation.

Figure 3 is a rear elevation of the invertible chemical container, thesame being shown in its normal position.

Figure 4 is a side elevation thereof, the position of the container wheninverted be ing indicated by broken lines.

Figure 5 is a top plan View of the chemical container.

Figure 6 is a sectionthrough the manifold of the distributing system.

' Figure 7 is a section through the manifold on line 7-7, Figure 6, thepipes andspra-ying nozzle being in elevation.

Figure 8 is an elevation of one of the valves and its operating arm.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates a boothof the usual or any preferred construction in which are arrangedprojecting machines 2 and a rewinding machine 3. Secured within the1926. Serial No. 122,727.

booths at any suitable point is a frame 4; provided with opposedbearings 5 engagedby t-runnions 6 extending in opposite directionsfrom achemical tank 7', these trunnions being located below the center of thetank, as shown. The bottom of the frame t is formed with a back'wardlyextending yoke 8 and arranged above this yoke is an arcuate arm 9constituting a stop for the tank'7. This arm is forked at itsfree end asshown at 10 forthe reception of an car 11 projecting from the upperportion of the tank. Ahold ing pin 12 is loosely seated within theforked end '10 of arm 9 and within the ear 11 and as long as this pin isin engagement with these forks, the tank 7 isheld in an upright positionas shown in Figures 3 and 4. For the purpose of connecting the ear 11 tothe tank 7, a strap 13' is extended around the tank, said strap passingover and under the tank and having its ends adjustably connected bya'buckle 14. The ear is extended from this strap. v v

A supporting pin 15 is extended inwardly from the frame 4 at a pointwhere it will not interfere with the rotation of the tank and this pinserves to support the looped portion of a flexible hose 16 one end ofwhich'is connected to the tank as shown at 17 while the other endis'connected to a pipe ,18- leading through a distributing manifold 19.A valve -hose 16. I

Extending from the manifold 19 are delivering pipes leading to the pointwhere the chemical is discharged in the event of fire. In the presentinstance four of these pipes have been shown at 21, 2 2, 23 and 24. Thepipe 21 leads to a point above the rewinding mechanism 3 and is forkedas shown at 2 5, the two arms of the fork terminating close to therespective reels 26 of the rewinding mechanism. A valve 27 is providedin the pipe 21and has a weighted arm 28. A cord 29 is connected to thisarm and is extended 7 cord. Another cord 31-is attached to the holdingpin 12' and is extended through guides 32 as shown particularly inFigure 3. A portion of this cord is formed with a depending loop 33between two of the guides and this loop is engaged by and supports aweight 34. Only one side of this loopsupports the weight, as shown atthe right of the loop 33 in Figure 3, this side being the one anchoredto the heat released attaching means. The other side of the loop, whichdoes not support the weight, is extended to the pin 12. One end of thecord 31 is attached to the cord 29. As the weight 34 is fastened to theloop 33 so that it cannot slide on the cord it will be apparent that theheld cord 29 will serve to support the weight 34 under normal conditionsand pin 12 will therefore remain undisturbed. If, however, cord 29should be released by fire at the rewinding apparatus 3, the weight 34would thus be relieved of its support and would move downwardly bygravity, pulling through the cord 31 upon the pin 12 and withdrawingsaid pin from the ear 11. As

the tank 7 is normally overbalanced, it will immediately swing to aninverted position when thus released. Thus the chemical within the tankwill be released and will flow under pressure through the pipe 18 to themanifold 19. When cord 29 was released the valve arm 28 was alsoreleased and as this arm constitutes a weight it swings downwardly andopens valve 27. Consequently the chemical entering the manifold willpass outwardly by way of pipe 21 and be delivered onto the rewindingapparatus.

The pipe 22 which extends from the manifold 19 to one of the projectingvmachines 2 has a nozzle 35 at its free end positioned where it willspray chemicals upon a burning film in-the machine. A cord 36 isanchored to this machine at a point. where it will be immediatelyreleased in the event of fire, this release being effected either by theignition of the. fastening means or of the cord. Cord 36 is extendeddirectly to the arm 37 of a valve 38 in pipe 22, this arm and valvebeing the same as the one illustrated in Figure 8 and heretoforedescribed. Cord 36 extends downwardly to the arm and serves to supportit normally in position with the valve 38closed. Another cord 39 isattached to the cord 36 and also to the cord. 31, this cord 39 beingextended through guides 40 be tween which the cord is extendeddownwardly and attached to a weight 41 similar to weight 34.Obviously'when the cord 29 is released and the weight 34 operates towith-. draw the pin 12v as already explained, the

. valve 38. will not be actuated because the weight 41 is not therebyreleased. If, however, cord 36 should be released instead of cord 29,the weight 41 would be free to move downwardly by gravity, therebypulling on the cord 31 and causing the pin 12 to become disengaged. Atthe same time the weighted arm 37 would drop and open the valve 38 sothat the chemical, from the inverted tank would be'free to flow in thepipe 22 and be discharged at the nozzle 35; I

A similar arrangement of parts has been shown in connection with thepipe 23 which the flow of chemical to this nozzle-can be controlled by avalve 48. The arm 49 of this valve is adapted to be operated by a handcord 50 and is connected by a cord 51 to the cord 31. Thus whenever theoccupant of the booth desires to deliver a spray of chemical into thebooth from the nozzle 47, he

merely pulls on the cord 50. This causes the valve 48 to open and causesthe cord 51 to pull on cord 31 thereby to shift pin 12 to releasingposition. Accordingly the tank will move to inverted position and thechemical fluidwill be'free to fiow through pipe 18 to manifold 19- andthence to the pipe 24.

What is claimed is: V V

1. A fire extinguishing system of the class described including achemical container,

means for supporting the same to swing about a transverse axis, ashiftable locking pin for holding the container normally in upstandingposition, a vmanifold, a flexible pipe connection between the containerand the manifold, distributing pipes extending from the manifold, avalve in each distributing pipe adapted to openby gravity, separatemeans for holding each valve normally closed, each of said meansincluding a flexible line connected at one end to the pin and having anintermediate loop, a weight fixedly attached to and supported by oneside of the'loop, and anchoring means attached:

to the weight supporting side of the loop, said anchoring means beingreleasable by fire in proximity thereto, the release of the anchoringmeans and consequent release of the weight being adapted to shiftthe pinand release the container for movement to inverted position. c

2. A fire extinguishing apparatus of the class described including achemical container mounted for swinging about a transverse axis, asupport therefor, a slidable locking pin engaging the support andcontainer for holding said container'normally in upstanding position, amanifold having an outlet, flexible pipe connections between themanifold and the container, a valve for controlling the outlet, means.for opening the valve, an anchoring element adapted to be released byfire in proximity thereto, a flexible connection between said elementand the valve opening means to restrain the latter from action and tohold the valve closed, 5 a flexible connection between said valve andthe pin, said last named connection including a depending loop, and a.pin actuating Weight fixedly secured to the loop and normally supportedby that side of the loop extended to the anchoring element, the otherside of the loop being normally free of the load of the Weight.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature.

GEORGE A. MEARS.

